Homeschool Guide: These lesson plans are a guide for parents. Content may contain errors — always cross-reference with official exam board specifications.

igneous rocks

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4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: igneous rocks

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about igneous rocks. Then check against the key terms: GCSE Geology Exam Tips — Igneous Rocks. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: GCSE Geology Exam Tips — Igneous Rocks.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: igneous rocks. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Geology because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: explain the key ideas of igneous rocks

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about igneous rocks.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: igneous rocks

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on igneous rocks. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Igneous rocks form from the cooling and crystallisation of magma (intrusive) or lava (extrusive)
Key Fact: Intrusive igneous rocks cool slowly underground, producing large visible crystals (coarse-grained): granite, gabbro, diorite
Key Fact: Extrusive igneous rocks cool rapidly at the surface, producing fine-grained or glassy textures: basalt, rhyolite, andesite, obsidian
Key Fact: Granite (felsic, intrusive) = quartz + feldspar + mica; Basalt (mafic, extrusive) = pyroxene + plagioclase + olivine
Key Fact: Bowen's reaction series shows the order of mineral crystallisation from cooling magma: olivine/pyroxene first (high temperature), then quartz last (lowest temperature)
Key Fact: Silica content determines rock classification: felsic (>65% SiO2), intermediate (52-65%), mafic (45-52%), ultramafic (<45%)

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: explain the key ideas of igneous rocks

Answer:

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: igneous rocks

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: GCSE Geology Exam Tips — Igneous Rocks. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Work through the practice questions on the revision notes page for this topic.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: igneous rocks

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Exam-Style Question

Attempt a past-paper style question on igneous rocks from the exam board past paper finder (see Resources), then mark it against the scheme.

Exam Tips: Cooling rate = texture: slow = coarse, fast = fine, instant = glassy | Granite (intrusive) and Rhyolite (extrusive): same composition, different texture | Basalt (extrusive) and Gabbro (intrusive): same composition, different texture | Bowen's series: discontinuous branch + continuous branch, know the mineral order
Common Errors: ✗ All igneous rocks are the same colour ✓ Igneous rock colour depends on composition: felsic rocks are light (granite), mafic rocks are dark (basalt), intermediate rocks are medium-coloured (andesite) ✗ Magma and lava are the same thing ✓ Magma is molten rock BELOW the surface; lava is molten rock that has reached the surface, they are the same material at different locations ✗ All intrusive rocks are granite ✓ Intrusive rocks range from granite (felsic) to diorite (intermediate) to gabbro (mafic) to peridotite (ultramafic), composition varies independently of cooling rate
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how igneous rocks connects to another Geology topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of igneous rocks
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in igneous rocks?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)